Turbine-wheel system



June 22 ,1926.

' Y F. M. ZOTTOLI TURBINE WHEEL sYsTM Filed Nov. 27, 1925 [fa/entan- It M Why/owed y 1WIM W I o zorneys.

' more particularly set Patented June 22, 1926 FRANK M. ZOTTOLI, OF IBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TURBINE-WHEEL SYSTEM.

Application filed November 27, 1923. Serial No. 677,309.

The invention relates to a new and useful improvement in turbine wheel systems.

One object of the invention is to provide a sluiceway with a plurality of turbine wheels in series and a plurality of deflecting walls whereby the current will be guided in a tortuous course in suchmanner that the full force of the current will strike the blades of each wheel on the far side of the wheel just before the discharge, so that the blades will not have to push the dead water half way around as is usually the case; also to arrange the series of deflecting walls in such manner that after the water has been operative in the manner above describedon one wheel,.and discharged, the current wlll again be deflected and be operative on the blades of the next wheel in the series just before the discharge. 7 Another object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary independent current or stream to augment the current which has already passed through a previous wheel.

Other features of the invention will be forth hereinafter. In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in diagram, and broken away ateach end, of asystem embodying the inventionv showing a single longitudinal series of water wheels.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in diagram, and broken away at each end, showing a system with two parallel series of water wheels in one general sluiceway.

The apparatus is more especially intended to be installed in tide water, and open'to the tide water at each end so that it will be operative whether the current is flowing in one direction with the inflow of the tide or in i the reverse direction with the ebb of the tide. The invention is adapted, however, to be employed ina sluiceway in which the cur-' rent flows only in one direction, as in a river or a canal fed from a river or pond.

Referring now to the drawings, in Fig. 1 there is shown a sluiceway having two parallel side walls 1, 2, through which flows a current of water.

Mounted in said sluiceway are alongitudinal series of Water wheels, preferably turbine wheels mounted to rotate on a vertical.

axis. For illustration, a series of four wheels are shown which, for convenience of reference 1n descrlbing the lnvention, are

designated a, b, 0 and d. The series may be sired. It is not deemed necessary to show the water wheels, except in diagram, as the present invention does not relate to the construction of the wheel itself. The inner circle 4 indicates the'peripher of the hub of each wheel, and the concentric outer circle 5 indicates the periphery of the path de-- scribed by the sweep of the blades. The full width of the sluiceway between the two side walls .1, 2, is considerablygreater than the diameter of the wheel, and the wheels are located intermediate the said walls so that there is a space on each side of the wheels. The wheels are also spacedat some distance apart from each other, in longitudinal series. On one side of the series of wheels, there are a series of deflecting walls 6. 6* and 6 which are curved, as viewed in plan, being bowed outwardly from the longitudinal median linev through'the axes ofthe wheels toward the adjacent side wall 1, but not extending entirely to the side walls. One end of each of said curved walls'starts' at a point adjacent the periphery of one of the wheels at the median line of the sluiceway, if the wheels are located in the middle of the sluiceway (or at any rate,- in a line parallel with the side wall of the sluiceway drawn through the axis of thewheel), and

extends a sufiicient length to partiallyjembrace two adjacent wheels; There is provided a series of curved wall sections 7 7 a and 7" parallel with the curved deflecting walls, 6, 6", 6 to'form auxiliary curved passages for the water-to alternate wheels, in addition to the central current. i

There is a passage 8 between the adjacent ends of thecurved wallsections 6, 6, and a passage 8 between the adjacent ends of the walls 6 and 6 and so on between the adjacent ends of the walls of any extension of theseries.' m

On the opposite side of the series of-wheels' from the curved deflecting walls 6, 6, 6", there are a series of curved'd'efle'cting walls 9, 9*, each of which partially embrace two adjacentwheels,-but in alternating relation to the walls 6, 6 6*; that is, the wall 6 embraces the wheels b, 0, the wall 9embraces the wheels a, b, and the wall 9 embraces the wheelsc, d.

A series of curved wall sections 10, 10 cooperate with the guide wall sections 9, 9 to form passages to the wheels which are alternate to the wheels which are fed by the passages tormedby the wallet, 6 and 6 and their cooperating walls. 7, 7 and 7 In operation, we will assume that the current is flowing from the. righttowardthe.

left, as viewed in 1. The water in the middle of the channel will strike the wheel-a, the first in the series, between the wall sections 6, 9, on that half of thegwheelwhich is on the side toward the wall 6, while the wall 9 will ward ell the current from theother hall-- The direct force 'ofthe cur-v of the wheel. rent will come against tlreblades of the wheel through the =-thr"o'at 12 at difte'rent. points on I. the way from .th'e'prox-iinateend'iof the wall 9 to 'thetu-rtheifie'nd 'ot the wall 6, ustbe t'ore the discharge point 0:13: the water from the wheel. a

After the water escapes-pastthe wheel a,

.. the curvedwallt. and the. rotation-of the wheelawi-ll give the. current "a deflection toward the coli'caveface of the wall 9wh1ch willdeflect the current through the throatv 13 against thewhee'l bonthe side toward the. wall 9,=an d the wall26 willprevent the current froinacting-ontheopposite side of the wheel. Thev wheel I) will rotate the reverse direction from the wheel a.

An auxiliary current will come in through the passagebetween the walls :6 :and 7 and thence part ofz-it will pass through the passage 8 between the. converging proximate ends of the walls-6 and 6yand.unite with the current which-passes through thev wheel J 0i already described.-

ment the current which passes through the wheel I). The wheel .0 will rotatein-the-reverse direction to wheel 6...

It will be readily understood that Wheel cl willfb'e driven in a similar manner to wheel 5. The system maybe extended, toinclude,

as long a sluiccway and as-rnany wheels as desired. In thesystem .showninuFig. 2,,the prin-;

. ciple is the same asthat shown in Fig.1,but'

is adapted for-two longitudinal series of wheels in one broad'channeh The deflecting walls for the wheels at, b, o and d in one series are curved oppositely to those forthewhe'els a, b, c, and d: in the parallel series,:'s'o that the wheel 'a will frotate in the r opposite di-.

rection fromgthe wheel a5, and; the-same. is, trueas to the succeeding; wheels in the ;-two.

series.

In the niddle offthe channelywhichgflows betweenthe two series thelfezareplaeed a sea ries of combination deflecting members-to split the current anddeflectaeportioilste one series and-'aportion to the other;"seri es.g The. two cen e gingfinembers14 14 cooperate re.

spectively with the walls 9 and 9 in a manner which willbe easily understood from the. description of the system shown in Fig. 1.. The walls 15, 15 cooperate with the walls 9 and 97, and the walls 16 and 16 cooperate with the walls 9 and 9 respectively. Ibis-obvious that the system is adapted for use in connection with tide water where the current flows alternately in one direction and then in the other. This is true whether the single series, as shown in Fig; 1, is employed, or the double series, as shown in Fig: 2. lVhenthe current reverses direction, the wheels will all rotate in the samev direction as that in which they rotated before the change in directionottthe. current. It is obvious that the walls 62 and 101, 63 and 102, 6a and .103 form an auxiliarychannel in the same way as the. two sets ofwalls 6, 7, etc., on the opposite side of the sluiceway.

What Iclaim is:

1. In combination with a sluiceway, a plurality of turbine wheels mounted therein in a. series in thelongitu-dinal direction, of the.

sluiceway and spaced {apart from each. other, aplurali-ty otdeflecting walls on opposite sides or the series "of wheels so arrangedv that the space between the proximate ends of the deflecting walls on one side will'corne opposite one or the deflecting walls on the opposite side, the two ends of each deflecting wall extending respectively to the periphery. of the. circle described-bythe blades of one.

of two adjacent wheels.

2. In-combinationwith a sluiceway, a plurality ofturbine wheels mounted therein in a series in. thelongitudinaldirection of the sluicewayand spaced apart from each other, aplurality: offdefiect-ing walls on opposite sides of the series of wheels so arranged that the space between the. proximate ends of the deflecting'walls on one side will come oppositeflone of the, deflecting walls extending re spectively tothe periphery of the circle described by the blades of one of two adjacent wheels, the contact point of one end being on the'near side and the contact'point of the otherend being on. the far side of the respectivewheels.

3. In combination with; a sluicewa a plurality'of turbinewheels mounted therein in aseries in;the'longitudinalv direction of the sluicew ay and spaced fapart from each other, a plurality o-f'defiec ting walls on opposite sides of theseries of wheels so arranged that the'space between the proximate ends of the deflecting, walls on one side will come opposite one of the deflecting walls onthe opposi.te"si dei,.,and deflectingwalls' outside of each seriesjotsaiddeflecting walls spaced apart therefrolnin .such' manner as to .fGITIl channels for 1 auxiliary currents.

4.; Intombinat-ifln witha -.sluicjeway, a plu rality' of; turbinewater Wheels mounted: thereinrinsa;rowrlongitudinally of thesluice-i way, said wheels being spaced apart from each other and set with their axes in vertical position, a plurality of curved deflector walls in the sluiceway on oppositeisides of the series of wheels so spaced and disposed that the concave sides of the walls face toward the wheels, one of said deflector walls partially embracing two adjacent wheels, the two ends of said wall extending respectively to the peripheries of the circles described by the sweep of the blades and one of said curved walls on the opposite side of the sluiceway partially embracing one wheel of said first two wheels and a third wheel.

5. In combination with a sluiceway a plurality of turbine water wheels mounted therein in a row longitudinally of the sluiceway, said wheels being spaced apart from each other and set with their axes in vertical position, a plurality of curved deflector walls in the sluiceway on opposite sides of the series of wheels so shaped and disposed that the concave sides of the walls face toward the wheels, one of said curved walls partially embracing two adjacent wheels, the two ends of said wall extending respectively to the peripheries of the circles described by the sweep of the blades and one of said curved walls on the opposite side of the sluiceway partially embracing one wheel of said first two wheels, and a third wheel, and curved deflecting walls outside of and parallel with said embracing walls and spaced apart therefrom in such manner as to form a channel for an auxiliary current.

6. In combination with a sluiceway, a plurality of turbine wheels mounted therein with their axes in vertical position, said wheels being arranged in a series in the 1ongitudinal direction of the sluiceway and spaced apart from each other, thesluiceway being of a width greater than the diameter of the wheels to provide a substantial width of clear channel on both sides of the row of wheels, a longitudinal series of curved defleeting walls on each side of the row of wheels, each of said walls having its concave face toward the wheels, each of .said walls partially embracing two adjacent wheels,

there being a space between the proximate ends of the adjacent concave walls in each longitudinal series, the open spaces between the proximate ends of the concave walls in one series, coming opposite one of the concave walls in the other series.

7. In combination with a sluiceway, a plurality of turbine wheels mounted therein with their axes in vertical position, and deflecting walls so constructed and arranged that the current will be guided to act directly upon the blades of each wheel in the series on the far side of the wheel just before the discharge from the wheel, the water after being discharged from one wheel being guided by deflecting walls to the blade adjacent the outlet of the next-wheel, and a channel for an auxiliary current with guides for directing portions thereof to unite with the current which has passed through one wheel to jointly act on a following wheel.

8. In combination with a sluiceway, a plurality of parallel rows of turbine wheels mounted therein, each row being in the longitudinal direct-ion of the sluiceway, deflecting walls so constructed and arranged that the current will be guided to act directly upon the blades of each Wheel in the series on the far side of the wheel just before the discharge from the wheel, the water after being discharged from one wheel being guided by deflecting walls to the blade adjacent the outlet of the next wheel, and a channel for an auxiliary current with guides for directing portions thereof to unite with the current which passed through one wheel to jointly act on the following wheel, and a channel between two parallel rows of wheels having therein deflecting members to split the current and direct a portion thereof to the wheels in one row and a portion to the wheels in the other row.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FRANK M. ZO'ITOLI. 

